Progressive Chistians & Politics

Evangelical authors and activists such as Brian D. McLaren of Lauren, founding pastor of Cedar Ridge Community Church in upper Montgomery County, preach with a set of revised priorities. Climate change, still unmentionable — and plausibly deniable — in many parts of the conservative movement, figures prominently. Efforts at achieving social justice are underlined with vigour. A work like The Secret Message of Jesus, released in 2006, pushes for earthly labours that refocus the religious message to the just and good life.

An entry on the progressive website Pomomusings jots down McLaren's main views. The message of the 'Kingdom of God' is not, as he puts it, 'life in heaven after you die', but an active, living project Christians must undertake on earth. For Jesus, it was 'good news for the poor'; for McLaren, the Kingdom of God suggests a 'social dimension', one that confronts believers' assumptions 'about peace, war, prosperity, poverty, privilege, responsibility, religion, and God'.

The world of the afterlife diminishes in the rhetoric, as does that of a righteous, anti-welfare, nuke-loving Christ. McLaren cringes at the staple portrayal of Jesus among conservative evangelicals as a 'pro-war, anti-poor, anti-homosexual, anti-environment, pro-nuclear weapons authority figure draped in an American flag'. While his theological base has raised eyebrows among some theologians, McLaren's politics have kept him afloat. Consuming, inclusive love, rather than militant, repellent hate, drives his activism.

The above is an excerpt from an article by Binoy Kampmark. Click here to read more...

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2008 Restore America Conference

PORTLAND, Or., Jan. 3 /Christian Newswire/ -- It takes only a small minority in leadership of the seven major spheres of influence within any society to control the direction of any nation. Throughout the last several generations, God fearing Americans have yielded their historical leadership in the realms of Family, Religion, Education, Government, Business, Media and Entertainment. In their absence, a small number of anti-God Americans have gained control of society and are reshaping these spheres with their ideas of virtue & moral values, sex with anyone, power over everything, and money for anything that satisfies the fallen nature of mankind.

The 2008 elections, with the spheres of education, the media, and entertainment, under the control of God mockers, will have far reaching ramifications for America, and the world. In the 2004 General Election, 19 million of the 52 million Evangelical Christians in America who were eligible to VOTE, did not VOTE! What's worse, that number increased to 28 million in the 2006 election! Still more disturbing, millions of Bible believing Christians remain unregistered to VOTE! By calling these Bible believing Christians to register and VOTE, more conservative, Christian world view candidates can be elected and the current strategies that are destroying America, thwarted.

The 2008 Restore America, Know the Truth, Change the Culture, February 22-23 Conference at Rolling Hills Community Church in Tualatin, Oregon (just a few miles south of Portland), will speak to this issue and each sphere to show how Christians can restore their historical American culture. Georgene Rice, with KPDQ-FM will again be the Master of Ceremonies and these "politically incorrect" questions, addressed: (FAMILY – "Is Homosexuality Wrong?" RELIGION – "Are We At War With Islam?" –EDUCATION – "Who Is Controlling Public Education?" GOVERNMENT – "Can a Secular Government Protect Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness?" BUSINESS – "Should Faith Influence the Workplace?" MEDIA – "How Does the Media Shape Our Culture?" ENTERTAINMENT – "What Is Our Entertainment Costing Us?") National Speakers include former lesbian activist and magazine editor - Charlene Cothran, former Muslim terrorist - Kamal Saleem, syndicated columnist - Starr Parker, Terri Schiavo's attorney - David Gibbs III, historian - Marshall Foster, movie makers - Jonathan & Debra Flora, and WorldNetDaily.com Vice President - David Kupelian.

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ENDA - Mitt Romney vs. Richard Land

Mitt Romney has gone on record within the last few weeks as a supporter of ENDA. This should be frightening to all Christians.

Here is what Richard Land of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention had to say about ENDA:

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Dear Friends:

An employer's freedom to make workplace decisions that follow biblically-informed beliefs that homosexuality is wrong could soon be history.

The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote Wednesday, October 24 on legislation that would require employers to provide special workplace protections to individuals based on "actual or perceived sexual orientation."

Under the Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2007, better known as ENDA, employers would not be permitted to take sexual orientation into account when making hiring, firing, promotion, or workplace decisions. Ultimately, ENDA would permit inappropriate government intrusion on businesses and the religious community.

While the latest version includes a broadened exemption for religious organizations and drops protections based on gender identity, ENDA in any form could spell danger for people of faith. Many businesses, day cares, shelters, schools, colleges, and other organizations with religious missions would not be exempted and would become targets of lawsuits.

Also, hostile work environments would no doubt result as businesses are forced to comply with ENDA's special protections for homosexuals. Merely keeping a Bible on a desk or a Scripture verse on a wall in an office, for example, could be viewed as discrimination based on "actual or perceived sexual orientation."

If you are concerned that ENDA would invite government intrusion into employers' rights and force Christians to make employment decisions that violate their beliefs on homosexuality, please contact your congressman and tell him to vote "No" on ENDA, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (H.R. 3685).

You can call your congressman by dialing the Capitol switchboard at 202/224-3121. The operator will then connect you to the congressman's office of your choice. If you do not know who your congressman is, or if you would prefer to use email, just enter your zip code in the space provided below and send him the suggested letter or one entirely your own.

We must do our part to raise the red flag and counter those who are pushing for special protections for homosexuals. Please act now!

Please know that I am deeply grateful for your efforts to keep this legislation from becoming law and restricting freedoms of Christians in the workplace.

In His Service,

Dr. Richard Land
President
The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
Southern Baptist Convention

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Janet Folger Says Mike Huckabee Is Best Candidate

From Janet Folger's WorldNetDaily article:

"Here's the bottom line: Of the tier-one candidates, whom do you trust on the most fundamental issues we face? Romney has flipped on every major issue preceding his run for the president – no wonder there's a laugh track when it comes to the question of integrity on that ad. Oh, and another thing. Romney just came out in favor of ENDA – The Employment Non Discrimination Act, "thought crimes for the workplace" – which was responsible for closing down Catholic Charities' adoption agency because they refused to place vulnerable orphan children in the homes of homosexual activists. Not surprising, Romney could have prevented it by executive order while governor, said Michael Dukakis (who is not known for his pro-family advocacy): "The state's anti-discrimination statutes do not preclude an exemption for the Catholic organization," he said. But, instead, the largest and most respected adoption agency in Boston was forced out of business while Romney was busy declaring "Youth Gay Pride Day" and his Department of Health was developing the vulgar "The Little Black Book … Queer in the 21st Century," indoctrinating children to perform "safe gay sex" – an oxymoron. Business owners, brace yourself. Unless you also embrace and subsidize the homosexual agenda, Romney will try to close your doors, as well."

Click Here to read more . . .

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Romney's Pro-Gay Record Turning Off Family Values Supporters

Pro-Gay Romney Upsets Family Values Leader
ByMichelle Vu
Christian Post Reporter

WASHINGTON – A prominent pro-family leader is urging fellow conservatives to withdraw their support for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney over his recent expressed support for a “sexual orientation” non-discrimination law.

Romney during an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” said he supports the contentious Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which adds “sexual orientation” to a list of federally protected classes that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

The bill upsets conservative leaders because it grants special protection to employees based on their “actual or perceived” sexual orientation. Moreover, it would force Christian organizations that oppose homosexuality to hire gay employees.

“Mitt Romney’s Christmas present to the homosexual lobby disqualifies him as a pro-family leader,” said Peter LaBarbera, longtime pro-family advocate and founder of the Republicans For Family Values website.

“Laws that treat homosexuality as a civil rights are being used to promote homosexual ‘marriage,’ same-sex adoption and pro-homosexuality indoctrination of schoolchildren,” he said. “These same laws pose a direct threat to the freedom of faith-minded citizens and organizations to act on their religious belief that homosexual behavior is wrong.”

The former Massachusetts governor responded on “Meet the Press” that ENDA “makes sense” at the state level. But LaBarbera warns that if Romney “openly” promotes homosexual agenda at the state level then he cannot be trusted at the federal level.

He pointed out that the state’s “sexual orientation” nondiscrimination law laid the groundwork for Massachusetts legalizing gay “marriage” – the first in the country to do so.

Moreover, the ENDA-like law forced Boston’s Catholic Charities to shut down its century-old adoption agency because it refused to place children in gay households against Catholic teaching.

“Given Romney’s extensive pro-homosexual record and willingness now to depart from principle on this crucial issue, should we trust a ‘President Romney’ not to reverse course again on federal pro-homosexual laws such as ‘Hate Crimes’ and ENDA?” LaBarbera posed. (Read more. . . )

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Rudy Giuliani Is Worse Than Hillary Clinton

I repeat what I said in a previous post, do the Republicans really expect me to vote for the guy in this video. Not only will I not vote for him, I will actively work to see he isn't elected if he receives the Republican nomination. Some will say, "Look at the alternative. Do you really want to see Hillary elected?" My answer is that I think Giuliani is worse than Hillary, and not just because it will mean the end of the Republican Party if he is the nominee.



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